Book 2: Swords and Wands: Prisoner of Azkaban
by thedemigodsinthebluepolicebox
Summary: The demigods return in their second year to more surprises then they would ever have thought. Who is this Sirius Black and what does he have to do with Harry Potter? Find out in Book 2 of Swords and Wands
1. Back to Hogwarts

**Book 2: Swords and Wands: The Prisoner of Azkaban**

**Summary: The demigods return in their second year to more surprises then they would ever have thought. Who is this Sirius Black and what does he have to do with Harry Potter? Find out in Book 2 of Swords and Wands**

**NOTE: This book's reference is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with dialogue from said book. Also, you get to meet the Hufflepuff gang. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, HOO, or HP and I never will. **

**Chapter 1: Back to Hogwarts**

It was big news to the wizarding world. Not even big news, _huge _news more like it. It was the talk of the town. All the letters the demigods wrote and received had only one topic.

Sirius Black escaped Azkaban.

Now, usually people escaping prisons is discussed and then forgotten about after a while since it happens more then they want to admit. A wizard prison is a whole different story. Escaping Azkaban had been deemed impossible for a long time.

Conversations always included: "Still no sign of Black though? Don't get killed, stay safe, see you again!" or "Did you hear that Black is _still_ not caught? He killed eleven people! Don't be next!"

They were terribly optimistic about the breakout, weren't they?

That didn't stop everyday life from continuing on its path though. Wizards and Witches kept on living as they usually do, if it a bit more fearful.

"Sirius Black this! Sirius Black that!" Leo proclaimed as he collapsed onto the couch. It was one of the rare summer days where all seven demigods were home. Piper, who had been lying down on the couch, watching TV, stared down at his curly hair currently brushing her leg.

"It's die down." Piper murmured. "News like that always does."

"I get he broke out of an unbreakable prison, but seriously." Leo whined.

Meanwhile, Percy was staring at his bedroom with a confused frown. Jason stood next to him, too, looking at the room with a startled expression.

"Hmmm…" Percy mused. "I think he made the pool a bit too big."

Said pool took up all walking space in the room so you basically had to swim to get to the beds and closets. The water was crystal clear and sparkling, fish swimming in it, chattering noisily. The blue walls complimented it nicely. The photos on the desks still were in motion. Jason's Quidditch posters stood out against his corner.

"You think?" Jason stared at Percy.

"I'll ask him to fix it; we have all those empty bedrooms down the hall after all."

When the owl came with the letters of their new supplies, they left the morning after.

While they were there, they got everything they needed and more. Annabeth had grabbed quite a few books (more then just second year books, third year too). Hazel got more food for her bejeweled tortoise. Jason finally got his _Nimbus Two Thousand and One_ that he practiced on until the day they had to leave for Hogwarts. Percy stocked up on wizard food. Frank got more chocolate frogs.

The day they boarded the train, the talk of Sirius Black was still going. They managed to get a compartment to themselves where Ginny joined them a little bit later, if a bit huffily.

"They won't let me in on a secret. I _can_ keep a secret and they know that, but _no _little, ickle Ginny is to young to know their secrets." Ginny huffed, arms crossed. She was not happy with her situation.

"I'm sure they did it for a good reason, Ginny." Piper reasoned with the fiery ginger.

"You sound just like my mum."

Silence fell in the compartment. They gathered food from the snack cart when it came about. Ginny, rather sad, got out her sandwich, which was forgotten after Piper shared candy with her.

"So, Jason, let's hear about your broom." Ginny leaned forward excitedly. He had written her about it and she couldn't wait to know all about it. He had visited the Weasleys with Piper one time after he bought it, but he didn't bring it with him ("I didn't want to show off." "Oh, please, Jason. You've been to the house, what? All summer?")

And so they spent the time on the train talking of the broom and eventually other things as the rain poured and the candy wrappers started towering up. They realized something was wrong as the train rolled to a stop way to early.

Percy, closest to the crowded compartment's door, poked his head out like many other students before pulling back in as the lamps went out and their luggage fell off the racks. Ginny excused herself after a silent, thoughtful moment to go look for her brother.

Whispers fill the compartment.

"Annabeth-"

"No, Percy, I don't know what is going on."

"Who is stepping on my foot?"

"Sorry, Hazel."

'Hey guys, I think there is something boarding the train."

"What?"

A dark figure outlined in even more dark appeared at their door. A depressed feeling filled them, coldness gripping onto their souls. They would never be cheerful again, or that's what if felt like. It peered in for only moments, but those moments were terrible. Annabeth and Percy felt like they were back in Tartarus. Leo and Frank felt like their moms just died again. Hazel felt like she drowning. Piper felt like her father was missing again. Jason had a sudden lost sensation that made him feel terrible.

And then it was over. The figure kept going down the train. A relieved feeling settled in. The lights snapped back on, but coldness still remained. Percy was still shaking slightly. Annabeth had wrapped her arms around herself and shrunk. Hazel had tears in her eyes that hadn't fallen yet. Leo was a shade to pale. Piper's eyes were closed and she was muttering to herself. Jason leaned again the wall and caught his breath. Frank stared into nothing with a blank look.

"What was that?" Percy asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"I don't know." Annabeth murmured.

Silence reigned until the train started moving again, slowly but surely. They were back on the path to the castle. Nobody spoke. Nobody wanted to speak.

"Let's put on our robes." Frank finally said, looking up from his blank stare. His voice was detached. "We'll be there soon."

And that was what they did. They headed outside as quickly as they could when the train found its destination. The demigods were pushed through the crowd until they came to a stop with an empty carriage pulled by skeletal horses with reptilian features and wide, leathery wings that resembled a bat. Most people didn't seem to notice the horses. Maybe because the iron sheets of rain?

Luna stopped next to them. "Those horses pulling the carriages are thestrals. You can only see them if you have seen somebody die."

The demigods shifted uncomfortable-like until Leo, Luna, Piper, Jason, and Ginny, who joined them, piled into a carriage. Annabeth found the carriage with Rachel (who she shared a long greeting with) and Percy, Frank, and Hazel joined them for their ride.

The carriages jostled about as they made their way to the castle. In both carriages, nobody spoke. When they got to the feast, they all sat down, the warm feeling starting to come back.

Hushes whispers were exchanged all around. The Slytherins seem to be laughing at something, miming a faint. After the sorting, Dumbledore stood up, effectively silencing the crowd.

"Welcome!" Dumbledore said, the candlelight shining his beard and making his aura of power and safety more noticeable. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast…."

Dumbledore cleared his throat through the silence of the hall and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

Dumbledore sounded rather distasteful about the topic. Annabeth and Percy shared looks across the hall. Was that what was on the train?

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued," and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises-or even Invisibility Clocks. It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the dementors," he said.

Dumbledore looked seriously around the hall, making everybody feel like he was talking especially to them. Nobody moved or made a sound.

"On a happier note," he continued," I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.

"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Unenthusiastic applause filled the Dining Hall. Hopefully he would last more then a year in the job. Only those who shared a compartment with him clapped loudly, leaving Jason and Piper to glance at Ginny, confused. Professor Lupin looked more like a ratty collage professor then any of the well dressed teachers at the head table.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the attempted applause for Professor Lupin died away rather gradually. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

Applause, mostly from the Gryffindor table, once again filled the hall. The demigods, who didn't know him very well, made a polite applause unlike the golden trio, who were the loudest of the crowd and the last to stop clapping.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," Dumbledore said," Let the feast begin!"

The goblets and place filled up and loud talking erupted within the students, none the less then Percy, Hazel, and Frank.

"I can't believe that _thing_ on the train is guarding the school," Frank took a bite of his delicious food. "I can't stand having that feeling all the time."

"There just guarding the entrance to the school, they aren't in the school itself." said Hazel, who was poking at a jello-like object on her plate.

"Just knowing they are there makes it scary." Frank shivered.

"Five galleons say that Lupin will be gone by next year." Bobby, a fellow second year Hufflepuff who had a gambling problem, piped in from a few seats over.

"Ten and he'll be gone before the school year ends." Rosemarie-who contrary to her name, was the most hardest of Percy, Hazel, and Frank's Hufflepuff friends-took a bite of her pie.

"Don't make bets you can't fulfill, Green" Alastair, always the obnoxious one, smirked.

"Shut up, Wright, your parents don't exactly have a lot of money either." Rosemarie leaned across the table with an icy glare.

"Back off." Blake, Alastair's identical twin, barked.

"Make me."

"Guys," James Evans, always nervous and always quiet, eyed the two warily. "Can't you fight in the common room or not fight at all?"

"James is right, you three haven't even been here for an hour and you're already at each other's throats." Idony Young, as loveable as she is loving, tutted.

"I say let them fight," Charlotte said through a mouth full of food. "At least it makes things a bit more interesting in this house.

Through the arguing, Percy hadn't even moved from his gaze at the teacher's table. He studied it almost warily as if something was wrong. Hazel noticed this and gently touched his shoulder.

"You okay Perc? You haven't started eating like a satyr."

Percy shook his head. "Everything is fine, I'm just tired. The dementor really took a lot out of me."

Hazel accepted the answer, knowing she wasn't going to get a better one anytime soon. Percy got like that sometimes and she learned to live with it.

Dinner wrapped up nicely and they headed to the Hufflepuff common room, following the new prefect. Percy watched Annabeth get pulled to the side by Dumbledore to be talked to. She didn't seem nervous so he didn't question it. Once they got in the common room, they went to their beds and collapsed.

They were glad to be back.

**As I wrote the second chapter, I realized that this book will be the third most creative freedom I get during the series. The first being Halfblood Prince, the second: Deathly Hallows. This is the second most creative freedom I get at Hogwarts though. :)**

**Review with questions, thoughts, or anything! **


	2. Slither Through Time

**Book 2: Swords and Wands: The Prisoner of Azkaban**

**Summary: The demigods return in their second year to more surprises then they would ever have thought. Who is this Sirius Black and what does he have to do with Harry Potter? Find out in Book 2 of Swords and Wands**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, HOO, or HP and I never will. **

**Chapter 2: Slither Through Time**

The next morning, at the Slytherin table, Rachel and Annabeth were enjoying their breakfast and Rachel was updating Annabeth on yesterday's gossip. She was about to tell the blonde girl about the kiss she saw from Percy Weasley and Penelope Clearwater, but was interrupted by laughter down the table.

"Sometimes I'm like that Draco kid is cool and then other times I'm like: I hate his guts, right now is one of those times." Rachel glared at the laughing Slytherins.

"Oh, chill out, Rachel, it's just laughing." Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"They're making fun of Potter and it's interrupting my firsthand gossip update which I have to tell you because if you don't find out what it is, you will never know because you hate gossip."

Rachel smiled at Annabeth before turning back to the laughing crowd.

"Excuse me, Draco," Rachel leaned over Annabeth. The blonde boy and his group all turned to look at her. "Um, hi, Rachel Ridgewood, nice to meet you. Could you perhaps, I don't know, quiet your laughter just a smidge, I'm trying to help a friend out and update her on firsthand stories not tales I heard from other people. Thanks, you're a doll."

And the second year turned back to Annabeth and began talking once again leaving the third year crowd to leave their icy glares to her head. Instead of glaring at Rachel, Draco looked at Annabeth, who automatically looked down at the table. When their schedules came, they collected them.

"Wait a second, Annabeth; your schedule says you have third year _and_ second year classes. It says you have them at the same time." Rachel studied the blonde girl's schedule.

"Dumbledore thinks I'm suited for more advanced classes. I need a challenge." Annabeth said haughtily.

"How are you going to be at two classes at once?" Rachel asked.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it." Annabeth said good-naturedly. "I have it all figured it out."

True to her word, she made it to both second and third year classes. She joined the third years for Divination. Harry, Ron, and basically the entire class were shocked to find her there. The only one who wasn't surprised was Hermione; both girls sharing a secretive smile.

The classroom itself was like someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop combined. The tables were small, circular, and crammed inside the classroom. They were surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs. The only thing lighting the room was a dim, crimson light. The curtains at the windows were all closed and the many lamps were covered with dark red scarves. It was very warm and the fire burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving a sickly perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups, and overall completing the attic tea shop look.

"Welcome," a voice said out of the shadows. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."

Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight. She was thin, large glasses magnifying her eyes to several times their size. Draped over her shoulders was a gauzy spangled shawl. Chains and beads hung around her neck and her arms and hands were encrusted with a combination of bangles and rings.

Now, Annabeth had dealt with many prophets, seers, and augurs, so she knew not to judge. She had met people from Rachel to Octavian to Apollo and heard Percy's story about the prophet he bet his life against. Still, Annabeth had a bad feeling about this Professor, not in evil, but as in nothing good will come from this class.

"Sit, my children, sit." She said and they all climbed into armchairs or sank onto the poufs. Hermione gestured her to join her with Ron and Harry at the round table. Ron hid his distaste, she may have proven herself last year, but she was still a Slytherin and that simply was all to much.

"Welcome to Divination,' Professor Trelawney drawled, sitting herself into a winged armchair in front of the perfume-smelling fire. "My name is Professor Trelawney. You may have not seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."

Nobody said anything as the bug-like professor spoke. She rearranged her shawl and spoke once more. "So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field…"

Hermione looked startled while Annabeth raised her eyebrows. Ron and Harry grinned.

"Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future.' Professor Trelawney went on. "It is a Gifted granted to few. You, boy," She turned to the nervous Neville. "Is your Grandmother well?"

"I think so." Neville stuttered.

"I would be so sure if I were you, dear," Professor Trelawney said. Neville gulped. Annabeth rolled her eyes. She _knew_ she this class would be no good.

"Ah, Miss Chase, you roll your eyes as if you know more about this art then I do." The Professor studied Annabeth. "You had a long journey to get here, didn't you? From a far away land."

"Did the accent give it away?" Annabeth smirked. "I wouldn't say America is a long journey though, it's just across the pond."

The class let out small chuckles, easily hidden by coughs.

Professor Trelawney studied her distastefully. She then turned to the rest of the class. We will be covering the basic methods of Divinations this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear," she shot at Parvati Patil," beware a red-haired man."

Parvati gave a startled look at Ron, who was right behind her. The third year edged her chair away from him.

"In the second term," Professor Trelawney continued, "we shall progress to the crystal ball-if we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our numbers shall leave us forever."

A tense silence followed the proclamation. Annabeth folded her hands uneasily.

"I wonder, dear," she spoke to Lavender Brown, who was nearest to the professor, who shrunk into her chair. "If you could pass me the largest silver teapot."

Lavender stood up and took an enormous teapot off from the shelf, and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney.

"Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading-it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October."

Lavender trembled where she stood.

"Now I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fit it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on into its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of _Unfogging the Future. _I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear"-she grabbed Neville by the arm as he stood up. "after you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink."

Sure enough, Neville had no sooner reached the shelf of tea-cups where a tinkle of breaking china filled the room. Professor Trelawney handed him the dustpan and brush and nodded. "One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn't mind…thank you…"

When Annabeth and Hermione had their cups filled, they went back to the table and tried to drink the very hot tea quickly. They used their left hand to swill the dregs around as the professor had instructed and hand swapped them.

"This is a bit ridiculous." Hermione murmured as she studied Annabeth's dregs.

"Tell me about it." Annabeth studied Hermione's cup.

"It looks like a cloud? So you are going to have….a bad day?" Annabeth read to Hermione. She turned it. "A circle…you will be a part of a paradox?" She turned it. "A rose….love will come for you eventually." She turned it for the last one. "A sword…you are going to prove your worth."

Hermione huffed as she looked down at Annabeth's.

"You have a heart with a sword in it….your love life will get complicated but it works out in the end." Hermione turned it. "You have a spider….your life will be very complicated." She turned it. "You have a skull…danger in your path." She turned it. "You have two eyes….not everything will be what it seems."

Suddenly Professor Trelawney whirled around to their table as Harry snorted about something Ron said.

"Let me see that, my dear," she said to Ron, sweeping over and snatching Harry's cup from the red haired boy. Everybody stopped talking and watched the professor do her work.

"The falcon…my dear, you have a deadly enemy."

"But everyone knows _that,_" Hermione said in a loud whisper. Annabeth snickered. Professor Trelawney stared at the bushy haired girl.

"Well, they do," Hermione said. "Everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who."

Harry and Ron stared at Hermione with a mixture of amazement and admiration. They had never heard Hermione speak to a teacher like that before. Professor Trelawney turned the cup once more.

"The club…an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup…"

"I thought that was a bowler hat," Ron commented sheepishly.

"The skull danger…danger in your path, my dear…."

Hermione and Annabeth shared a look. Everybody was staring at the professor, transfixed, as Professor Trelawney did the final turn. She gasped and then screamed.

Another tinkle of breaking china, Neville had smashed his second cup. The professor had sunk into her chair, her hand over her heart. Her eyes were closed. It was all rather dramatic to Annabeth.

"My dear boy…my poor, dear boy….no…it is kind not to say…no…don't ask me…."

"What is it, Professor?" Dean Thomas asked right away. Everyone had gotten to their feet and crowded around the four students' table, pressing close to get a good look at Harry's cup.

"My dear," Professor Trelawney's eyes opened dramatically. "you have the Grim."

"The what?" Harry asked.

He wasn't the only one. Dean Thomas shrugged at him. Lavender Brown looked puzzled. Annabeth studied everybody, confused. Nearly everybody else clapped their hands to their mouths in horror.

"The Grim, my dear, the Grim!" Professor Trelawney looked shocked that Mr. Potter didn't understand. Annabeth felt like she was in a dramatic play. "The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boys, it is an omen-the worst omen-of _death_!"

Annabeth eyes sharpened, but otherwise she was as confused as the others. Hermione stood up and moved around to the back of the professor's chair.

"_I _don't think it looks like a Grim," she said flatly, as if, if she didn't think it looked like a Grim, then it isn't a Grim.

Professor Trelawney studied Hermione with growing dislike. "You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, by I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future."

Annabeth stood up and joined Hermione. "You're right; I don't see a Grim either."

Seamus Finnigan was tilting his head side to side as if trying to see if perceptive changed what it was.

"It looks like a grim if you do this," he said, eyes almost shut, "but it looks more like a donkey from here," he said, leaning to the left more.

"When you've all finished decided whether I'm going to die or not!" Harry yelled. Now nobody was looking at him.

"I think we will leave the lesson here for today," Professor Trelawney spoke in her mistiest voice. "Yes….please pack away your things…"

Silently the class returned their teacups back to Professor Trelawney, packed away their books, and then closed their bags.

Annabeth walked a little bit out of the way before using her trusty time turner to make it to Transfiguration for second years. The class was taking their places; Annabeth sat down next to Rachel, across from Leo and Luna. McGonagall was asking a question about the book and Annabeth raised her hand, getting called on.

Rachel had turned her head to see Annabeth and took a startled jump, chair and all, back. "When did you get here?" She asked, but Annabeth didn't answer.

When second year Transfiguration ended, Annabeth stayed behind. Professor McGonagall gave her a knowing, tight-lipped smile. Hermione took a seat next to her, piling the needed books on their desk.

Throughout the class, the students shot furtive looks to the back of the room where Harry Potter sat. Annabeth took notes on Professor McGonagall's lesson about Animagi, promising herself to tell Frank all about it. Annabeth watched very excitedly as the professor transformed into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes.

Annabeth clapped , but everybody, but the professor, stared at her so with a few more awkward claps, she stopped.

"Really, what has got into you all today?" Professor McGonagall turned back into herself with a _pop _and proceeded to stare at them all. "Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got a lot of applause from a class."

Everybody's heads turned toward Harry, but nobody was brave enough to speak. Hermione raised her hand after a moment of silence.

"Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and-"

"Ah, of course," Professor McGonagall frowned. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"

The students stared at their professor owlishly.

"Me," Harry spoke up.

"I see," Professor McGonagall set her steely gaze on Harry. "Then you should know, Potter, that Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues-"

Professor McGonagall paused in her rant, nostrils going white. She went on, "Divination is one of the most imprecise braches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney-"

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. It seems that the professor did not quite agree with the teacher of Divination. She couldn't blame her. Professor McGonagall then spoke up in a very matter-of-fact tone. "You looked in excellent to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."

Hermione and Annabeth giggled. Harry had lost some of his paleness.

After the class, Annabeth had to attend Arithmancy with the help of their trusty time turners. This would be a fun year. From Care to Magical Creatures to second year potions, she had fun the whole way.

Nevertheless, the two girls (Annabeth and Rachel) were glad to get back to the Slytherin Common Room for some downtime. Annabeth started on their homework that had already been given to start off the year ("I can't believe we are getting homework already," Rachel had huffed) and was furiously scribbling her History of Magic essay. Rachel had instead decided to make owl origami, two of them already flying around the friends' heads.

Meanwhile, the third year kids were talking about how Draco Malfoy got attacked by a hippogriff and how he was currently residing in the infirmary.

"I wonder how much of the story is true." Rachel pondered, sending her third owl after the first two.

"All of it." Annabeth hummed, continuing on her homework.

"What?" Rachel turned to her friend. Annabeth never got into gossip.

"Nevermind." Annabeth looked up, watching the owls

The parchment owls chased each other, wings flapping and giving the sound of paper being shuffled. They did one final circle around the two girls' heads and as the common room door slid open, they escaped into the dungeons of Hogwarts; efficiently scaring the seventh year couple who had walked through.

Rachel Ridgewood stared after her creations before looking down to her homework.

"Hey, Annabeth, any idea on how to make a Forget-Me-Not Potion?"

The next morning Luna and Leo had caught up with the two on their way back from breakfast to go to class. The four all had the same class-second year Defense Against the Dark Arts-and they shuffled through the busy corridor.

"You know what?" Leo said.

"What?" Annabeth asked, ready for some random Leo thought.

"Why did the _Raven_claws choose an _eagle _as they animal mascot? Why not a _raven _for _Ravenclaws?_"

"The same reason Gryffindors has a lion for their animal mascot rather than a griffin." Annabeth mused, boredom seeping from her voice.

"Why aren't you in Ravenclaw?" Rachel said.

"Because she doesn't put intelligence and wit before all else, she has pride and power there too-and she has a path of greatness ahead of her." Luna hummed, talking about the traits that are the deciding factors of a Slytherin.

Annabeth shrugged and the students carried on their way.

Come Thursday, Annabeth had third year Defense Against the Dark Arts after a rather uneventful Potions lessons. When they got there, Professor Lupin wasn't even at the class. They had all sat down, taken out their books, quills, and parchment. They then talked for awhile. Lupin smiled vaguely as he entered the room looking very much like a ratty professor with his tatty old briefcase placed on the teacher's desk.

Annabeth was reminded of a different person almost distantly. Quintus/Daedalus swum into her memories. Annabeth wondered vaguely if there was more to Lupin then what it seemed.

"Good afternoon, would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands."

Curious looks were exchanged as everyone put away their books. Annabeth fingered her wand excitedly.

"Right then," Professor Lupin said when all books were in their places. "If you'd follow me."

The class followed him excitedly, puzzled too. He led them along a deserted corridor and around a corner where the first thing to be revealed was Peeves, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum.

Peeves didn't even look up until Professor Lupin was very close. He then wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song. Annabeth raised her eyebrows.

"Loony, loopy Lupin," the song went. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin-"

Rude and uncontrollable, off the marks, obnoxious, ect. as Peeves was, he showed more respect to teachers usually. Almost as if expecting a fight, the students turned to look at Lupin to see how he would react.

He was smiling.

"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves," he said good-naturedly. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms.

Peeves blew a raspberry.

Lupin sighed as he took out his wand. He turned his head to the class over his shoulder. "This is a useful little spell, please watch closely."

Raising his wand to shoulder height and pointing at Peeves, he said. "_Waddiwasi!" _

The wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves' left nostril. He whirled and zoomed away, cursing. Annabeth promised herself to remember the spell so that when she made it back to Camp Halfblood she could use it against the Stoll brothers …if she still had magic, of course.

"Cool, sir!" Dean Thomas shouted in amazement.

"Thank you, Dean," Professor Lupin put his wand away. "Shall we proceed?"

He led the students down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staffroom door.

"Inside, please," Professor Lupin said, opening it and standing back.

The staffroom, long and paneled and filled with mismatched chairs, was empty except for one of the most disliked teachers at Hogwarts. Professor Snape sat in a low armchair and he looked around as the class filed in until they were formed like a miniature army. Lupin followed behind them and made to close the door when Snape spoke up in his drawling voice. "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this."

Annabeth rolled her eyes as he passed the class, his dark robes billowing behind him all dramatically. At the doorway, he turned on his heel and looked at Professor Lupin.

"Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear."

Annabeth sniffed angrily as Neville blushed scarlet. No one should treat a student in such ways, no matter who they were. Professor Lupin, almost challengingly, raised his eyebrow.

"I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation and I am sure he will perform it admirably."

Annabeth smiled, she would like this teacher (even if he already proved himself to the second years). Snape's lip circled as he left, shutting the door with a snap.

"Now, then," Professor Lupin spoke, beckoning the class toward the end of the room where an old wardrobe stood, a place where the teachers kept their spare robes. _Were they going to go to Narnia perhaps? _Annabeth thought rather rudely. As Lupin stood next to it though, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall. _Nope. _

"Nothing to worry about," Professor Lupin calmly said due to the fact that a few people had jumped back in alarm, Annabeth not included. "There's a boggart in there."

Most people found that to be a worrying though. Neville had given Lupin a terrified look. Seam Finnigan now eyed the cupboard apprehensively. Annabeth stared at the cupboard with a calculating look. She had read about boggarts.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," Professor Lupin taught, "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks-I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice."

"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?"

Hermione put up her hand, leaving Annabeth in the dust.

"It's a shape-shifter," the bushy haired girl spoke, "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," Professor Lupin smiled and Hermione glowed with pride. "So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears.

"This means," Professor Lupin said, "that we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"

Harry looked startled, Hermione bouncing on her feet next to him. Annabeth studied the dark haired boy patiently.

"Er-because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"

"Precisely," Professor Lupin said and Hermione dejectedly let her hand fall. "It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake-tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening. The charm that repels a boggart s simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is _laughter. _What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please…_riddikulus!" _

"_Riddikulus!" _The class spoke together.

"Good," Professor Lupin spoke again. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in Neville. Right, Neville. First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"

Neville spoke, but no words came out.

"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," Professor Lupin spoke carefully.

Neville looked around helplessly as if help was in the air somewhere. "Professor Snape."

Almost everyone laughed in the class. Neville grinned apologetically. Professor Lupin looked thoughtfully at the boy.

"Professor Snape…hmmmm….Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Er-yes," Neville's voice quavered slightly. "But-I don't want the boggart to turn into her either."

"No, no, you misunderstand me," Professor Lupin said, now smiling. "I wonder could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?"

Neville looked almost startled. Annabeth's brain worked twice as fast. She grinned, knowing what the Professor was onto. "Well…always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress…green, normally….and sometimes a fox-fur scarf."

"And a handbag?" Professor Lupin prompted.

"A big red one," Neville nodded.

"Right then," Professor Lupin said, "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"

"Yes," Neville wondered what was coming next.

"When the boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape," Lupin spoke. "And you will raise your wand-thus-and cry '_Riddikulus'-_and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat and that green dress, with that big red handbag."

A great shout of laughter filled the classroom. The wardrobe shook violently.

"If Neville is successful, the boggart is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn," said Professor Lupin, "I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical…."

Annabeth pondered her worst fear, drawing a blank. There were so many things she feared and so many things she didn't. She had no idea what would show up and what would take its place.

"Everyone ready?" Professor Lupin asked.

And so it begun from Professor Snape to a blood-stained mummy to a banshee to a rat to a rattlesnake. It stopped at Annabeth's feet.

Suddenly the boggart took form quickly. Aranche stood ready to eat her (Annabeth didn't move), but then it was a dead person on the ground. An older Percy laid sprawled (Annabeth let out a choked gasp) and then her mother was approaching her.

"You are the worse daughter ever. You are nothing! You have failed me! You are no daughter of mine. You are _fake_."

"_Riddikulus!" _

Athena suddenly disappeared in ribbons, the ribbons taking a spot in front of Ron. Annabeth didn't move. She sat there, shocked. She was slightly surprised by her fears and why it chose three of them rather then just one.

When Annabeth left class, she did so excitedly, ready for the day to be over.

Classes and days went by, by the weekend the demigods had gathered at their usual spot. The large tree towering over them. The only person missing was Percy who had a detention.

"Got caught trying to copy off Bobby, he did." Hazel mused rather lightly as if she was talking about the weather.

"Seaweed brain." Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Lupin is so cool." Leo suddenly spoke up. "He's a _thousand_ times better then Mr. I'm-Gilderoy-Lockhart-so bow down-peasant!" Leo did large gestures and imitated a blinding smile. Frank, sitting next to him, shifted uncomfortably. He had a bad feeling about Lupin and he couldn't explain it.

"Very funny, Leo, but let's not speak ill of the dead…or the hospitalized." Piper chewed her quill.

"I'm just stating the facts." Leo hummed. "Even you can't deny the truth."

"Okay, Lupin is really cool." Piper admitted. "But why the sudden topic?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts homework." Leo said before looking back down at his work. "I heard the third years got to fight boggarts."

"They do." Annabeth spoke up. Leo looked at her then at her homework.

"That's Arithmancy."

"Yes."

"That a third year elective."

"So? Why does it matter?"

"But-"

"Just leave it alone Leo."

When the school week started up again, Defense Against the Dark Arts soon became the demigods' favorite class. They studied all types of creatures (only a tiny bit less advance then the third years, Annabeth was glad to experience both) and got to learn all about them. Percy, Jason, and Annabeth were simply shining in that class and Professor Lupin noticed. Common mantras included:

"Good job, Miss Chase, ten points to Slytherin."

"Mr. Grace, that spell was simply exquisite, ten points to Gryffindor."

"Exceptional, Mr. Jackson! Ten points to Hufflepuff!"

Potions was dreadful, as always, the only people seeming to get the swelling potion right was Leo and Hazel, which caused them to scrape up a few extra points for their houses. All Percy managed to do was cause sludge in his cauldron, Frank's not looking much better.

Herbology had moved to the more dangerous greenhouses where they had begun to learn about mandrakes, much to the second years' chagrin. They simply did not understand why they had to take care of these things. Percy still did not have the Hufflepuff talent for Herbology.

History of Magic was boring as ever, as they had started learning about the International Warlock Convention of 1289 which was just a very long timeline that Percy didn't even pay attention to.

In Transfiguration, they had started on the beetle to button and rabbits to slippers spells. Out of the demigods, only Frank seemed to understand Transfiguration well enough to accomplish most of the spells. They blamed his ability to change into animals on that.

Charms were rather normal, Piper beating everybody else with her excellent skills. She seemed to be the only one out of the demigods to actually enjoy the class and attend with enthusiasm each day.

Homework seemed to be piled on more as the days of September passed fast. When people weren't talking about Sirius Black, they were complaining about homework.

One day, Percy, Hazel, and Frank were walking down the hall rather hurriedly to get to their next class when they bumped into a towering figure. Lupin looked down at them as the three second years caught themselves.

"Late to class?" He asked in a friendly manner.

"Always." Percy blew hair out of his eyes. Trying to get to the other side of the castle was much harder then one made it seem.

Frank stared at Lupin rather alarmed. Hazel bounced on her feet; they were very late to class now.

"Here. I'll write you a note." Lupin grabbed a piece of parchment and accepted Hazel's quill. "There you go! All set. Just don't let it happen again." He winked and walked down the hall. The three second years watched him.

"I have a bad feeling about him." Frank muttered.

"Dude, he just gave us a get-out-of-jail-free card, Professor Flitwick would've had our heads- if he could reach them, of course." Percy looked at his friend questionably. "Lupin is okay in my book."

"I don't know." Frank said uncomfortably. 

"Can't we go to class now?" Hazel was getting inpatient. If they waited any longer, it wouldn't matter about having a pass; Professor Flitwick would give them a detention without a second glance.

And so the three second years did.

**If you guys wanted to see the rest of the seven's boggarts, don't worry, you eventually will, just not for classes. **

**Annabeth attends second year classes, third year classes, and all electives. She's a busy girl.**

**Next chapter: Hufflepuff prank, nosey first year girl questions Leo's machines, an accidental demigod power occurs, a midnight meeting, and more. **

**Review with questions, thoughts, or anything! **


	3. Midnight Meeting

**Book 2: Swords and Wands: The Prisoner of Azkaban**

**Summary: The demigods return in their second year to more surprises then they would ever have thought. Who is this Sirius Black and what does he have to do with Harry Potter? Find out in Book 2 of Swords and Wands**

**NOTE: Thumbs up if you spot a reference from one of my favorite Harry Potter Fanfictions. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, HOO, or HP and I never will. **

**Chapter 3: Midnight Meeting**

"Wait for it. Wait for it. Wait for it. And clear!"

Percy, Hazel, Frank, and Charlotte stood up. The Hufflepuffs began making their way through the shadows, being cautious. They stopped right behind one of the many suits of armors in the barren corridor.

"I don't think we should do this." Frank spoke.

"Oh, please, Zhang, backing out already?" Charlotte teased.

"Shut up." Frank hung his shoulders.

Frank took a step forward when a hand shot out in front of him. Percy peered over the armor before pushing everyone down. Footsteps approached quickly.

"Thanks, Snape," Professor Lupin sounded like a child being forced to say that.

"It's my pleasure," Snape's voice sounded the exact opposite. "Just remember to take it and don't be late for your next appointment. Hogwarts is not equipped for _dog _problems."

Snape walked forward, cape billowing behind him. He disappeared down the corridor, leaving Lupin to sigh and rub his face. The professor turned around and walked down the corridor.

"What was that about?" Hazel whispered once the hall was deserted once more.

"I don't know."

"It doesn't matter; let's just get this over with." Charlotte spoke.

Filch was not expecting to walk down the certain corridor today. He was not expecting on getting called to the corridor by a tiny, second year, Hufflepuff girl. He was not expecting the corridor to have yellow and black streamers. He was _certainly _not expecting a parade of badgers to ambush him.

He _was_ expecting the second year Hufflepuff to be gone and unable to help him with the furry, black-and-white badgers currently surrounding him. He was expecting the giggling to occur. Filch cursed as he began shaking them off.

He hates students.

Meanwhile, in the Ravenclaw common room, Leo Valdez was rereading 'The Book of Muggle Inventions' for the seventh time. Luna sat next to him, reading an upside down Quibbler.

"Can you believe this? 'The _Mix-A-Lot_ creates a black liquid from powder' It's a coffee maker! And the TV is called _Muggle Madness, _stating it is almost magic on how they get the tiny people in the screen. Seriously?"

"Not all wizards are used to the muggle world like you Leo." Luna chimed.

They both went back to reading. They weren't excepting to be bothered when a first year girl wearing dark hair in braids approached them.

"You make machines."

"Um…yeah." Leo looked up from the book. "Thanks for reminding me that helpful fact. I would have never known if it weren't for you."

The first year rolled her eyes before crossing her arms impatiently. "How?"

"With parts." Leo did jazz hands like he was listing a prize.

"I mean Hogwarts can not run electronics, much less machines that don't move with magic." She spoke quickly and without patience. Leo was starting to not like this pushy first year.

"Who said I don't use magic?" Leo was starting to pull straws. He hoped the first year would buy it.

"That's why everybody is amazed by your inventions," The girl shouted, bringing her hands up. "You don't use magic!"

"That what I want people to believe, unless you think I'm so powerful that I can bend around the rules that a great, powerful wizard made." Leo lied convincingly. _Come on, come on, buy it, buy it!_

The girl studied him with squinted eyes, trying to detect the lie. "I'll see you around, Valdez."

The girl stalked off, braids swinging. She walked quickly as if she was on a mission before seating herself at a table on the other side of the room with some fellow first years. She glared at him from afar, pointed at her eyes and then at him, before picking up her book.

Leo turned to look at Luna nervously. She slowly pulled her Quibbler down so he could see her whole face, whitish blonde hair looking as pretty as ever, her eyes, like the moon, were wide. She had a quirky smile on.

"That was peculiar."

At breakfast, the next day, a very strange thing occurred. It was very early, only a few wizards at breakfast (for some reason all the demigods were there at this time in the morning). Rachel was still in bed. Annabeth had been walking to the Slytherin table like she normally did when suddenly Hermione waved her over to the Gryffindor table.

The first thing Annabeth did was look around to see if Harry or Ron were standing behind her, but both of them were seated with Hermione, who was still waving her hand over.

Annabeth brought her hand up to point at herself and mouthed "Me?" Hermione nodded enthusiastically. She slowly walked over to the table. As she drew closer, Ron whispered loudly and quickly to Hermione.

"Oh, 'Mione, what are you doing? Just because she went into the Chamber of Secrets with Harry and I last year and is in all of our classes now doesn't mean we are bud buds with her. You are bringing a Slytherin to the Gryffindor table! Are you even-"

"Hello, Annabeth." Hermione greeted warmly. Annabeth couldn't help but relax a bit as she sat down. Harry smiled at her lightly and Ron stared at her like he had been smacked.

"Hello." Annabeth replied.

"So, I was doing Runes homework and I wasn't sure about one of the points of the essay, because it's commonly confused with…"

Meanwhile, at the Hufflepuff table, Percy, Hazel, and Frank were laughing about their work. They sat at the end of the table, alone, eating breakfast treats. They were recounting the tale when suddenly a parchment hit Percy on the back of the head.

He looked behind him, at the parchment, and then to Leo who sat almost parallel to him at the Ravenclaw table then back to the parchment again. Leo nodded his head at it. Slowly, Percy reached down and picked it up. He unfolded it quietly, Frank and Hazel watching him. _The tree, midnight, make an 'x' if going: Percy, Hazel, Frank, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Leo._

Under Leo's name was a red 'x'.

Percy looked back to Leo who nodded his head again. He then shuffled through his bag until he found a quill. It just so happen to be the one that wrote in blue ink. He made an x under his name before passing it to Frank and Hazel who read it.

He looked at his water, wondering why Leo was calling a midnight meeting. He furrowed his brow in thought. Suddenly his water shot up and then back into the cup again, splashing a bit.

Frank and Hazel, who had been writing an 'x' under their individual names, looked up. Percy shrugged innocently, looking back to the water. He filed it to tell Annabeth later.

Hermione and Annabeth chatted freely about the Runes homework when suddenly a piece of parchment hit her on the back of the head. Annabeth turned her head around, Hermione following. Leo gestured to the parchment urgently.

She leaned down and picked it up, unfolding it. _The tree, midnight, make an 'x' if going: Percy, Hazel, Frank, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Leo._

Under Leo's name was an 'x' made in red ink, under Percy's: a blue mark, Hazel had a multicolored 'x', and Frank had a plain black 'x'.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, leaning over.

"Nothing." Annabeth folded the parchment before writing '_Secret meeting invitations don't include everybody who is going to the meeting'_. She then proceeded to levitate it back to Leo.

He turned around, collected it, read it and then looked at Annabeth with an icy gaze. His face lit up with a perfect smile, mocking Annabeth. He picked up his wand almost perkily before tapping it to the parchment, muttering a spell. It lit up in flames before crushing to ashes. Leo looked at her like 'what now', rubbed his hands together-dispersing of the ashes, and turned back to the table.

Annabeth roller her eyes before tuning back into the golden trio's conversation.

She was only interrupted when Rachel approached, pulling on Annabeth's sleeve, almost confused.

"Come on, you're starting to attract stares." The red headed girl looked to the Slytherin table over her shoulder. Annabeth saw many of the older years looking at her spot at the Gryffindor with disdain.

She smiled apologetically to Hermione, Ron, and Harry (the four of them had been enjoying a rather great conversation about fears and interests, Ron warming up to Annabeth once she revealed she feared spiders, explaining the Aranche "myth" to him, saying she had been scared of spiders since she heard it. Ron shuddered after the story, nodding to her with an approving glance) and got up, Rachel leading the way to the Slytherin table.

They sat down, the older Slytherins staring at Annabeth and whispering unpleasant things to their neighbors. Annabeth sat there, sitting straight with pride, ignoring Rachel's worried look sent her way.

Piper and Jason were informed by Leo later in the day when and where to be, after Leo practically pried them from Ginny's side playing the "It's a family problem, no need to be concerned" card with the ginger haired girl.

Come midnight, the students gathered at the tree, all confused by the request. Leo wrung his hands together nervously. His thoughts were flying and with every single one, his nervousness built. He looked at the faces of his friends, pale in the barely visible moonlight. The black lake glistened behind them and their tree shaded them from view of any curious peepers at the windows of Hogwarts.

"I make machines, right?" Leo began. The demigods nodded their head like it was obvious. "Well, how do they work?"

He was met with blank stares except for Annabeth, who seemed to have her thoughts going as fast a freight train. Leo nodded at her trying to help confirm her thoughts.

"Magic disrupts most muggle stuff at Hogwarts: video game devises, cell phones, TV-" Leo listed, counting them off on his fingers.

"And machines." Annabeth finished. "You aren't using magic to build them."

"Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner." Leo nodded his hands quickly, looking at the rest of the demigods. "I don't even think about them, I just make them."

"But that's a-" Annabeth looked at him, boggled.

"Power of Hephaestus." Leo nodded grimly as if he had announced a death and everybody was meant to mourn them due to its importance.

"Hold on a second, what are you two going on about?"

While Leo and Annabeth may have understood, the rest of the demigods were still confused. Percy spoke up, not liking how far behind he was getting in this conversation. He had felt this feeling way to much.

"We can't have demigod powers." Annabeth explained, used to this role and missing it greatly. "It was a trade, myth for magic-you could say. She turned us into wizards and witches, but by doing so, she took away our demigod powers."

"Because she didn't think we were worthy." Hazel added. Annabeth turned to look at her, forgetting the fact. "We couldn't have both until we proved ourselves with the powers separately."

Percy shifted uncomfortably. Piper balanced on her toes. Jason studied Leo and Annabeth's faces. Frank nodded his head, putting it all together.

Percy then told them what happened at breakfast in the morning causing Annabeth to look at him confused. _Why didn't you say that earlier you stupid seaweed brain? _Her look screamed. He shrugged and she rolled her eyes playfully.

"How can we know?" Jason asked.

"How can we know what?" Annabeth questioned.

"How can we know we have _all _our powers back?"

The demigods watched each other again. Annabeth thought about it before looking up with determination covering her face. She smiled as she spoke, loving being part of this team again

"We test."

And that's what the demigods did. At 12:30 in the morning, Percy stuck his hand into the cold water. He felt it, felt its temperature, and while it did calm him, his hand still pulled out wet, no matter how hard he concentrated. He tried several times to no success. When he concentrated hard enough, a tiny sphere of water floated up before breaking into nothingness.

Jason tried very hard to fly, but didn't move even a millimeter above the ground. When he tried to summon a spark, he managed to lightly shock Frank, who jumped, startled, in the air. As for controlling wind, he managed to lightly move a tiny breeze that could, at the most, move a feather.

Next was conversation, particularly Piper's conversation. Piper's charmspeak was only active on certain words including love, magic, or scarf. She could barely get Frank to agree to give him her scarf, much less getting Jason to carry around on his shoulder the rest of the night.

Then Leo focused on fire, which lead to basically nowhere. It would look and feel like a fire would start, but then it would fizz out before Leo could so much as set fire to a leaf. He could still make machines without thinking at ease at least. He could only hope his fire powers would erupt again soon.

Frank couldn't shapeshift; the closest he got was fur erupting up his arms and a claw or two forming. He could only maintain for so long before it sunk back into skin. He shrugged desolately, letting Hazel begin her tests.

Hazel tried her best, but only one gem appeared and it was about the size of a small nut. After that, she got a headache, taking a step back and leaning against the tree. She eventually fell asleep as the lull of conversation carried on.

The demigods didn't make it back to their common rooms until 4:00 am, Hazel woken up before. The demigods all used great skill to get pass Filch and Miss Norris, being sure to blend in with the shadows.

Percy couldn't sleep after they got back to their beds. He stared at the ceiling, studying it. He was counting each individual thread in bed when he fell out of consciousness. When woken up, he felt like he got no sleep at all. In fact, he felt like he had only had five minutes of sleep.

Worse of all, he couldn't even make it to breakfast.

Meanwhile, Annabeth wished she didn't make it to breakfast. She had sat down next to Rachel at the Slytherin table, getting there later then her normal. The redhead chased her eggs around the plate until she looked up, concentrating her ice like eyes on Annabeth.

"Where were you last night?"

Annabeth was startled. She looked up with wide eyes and her face paled. Rachel raised her eyebrow, reminding Annabeth to answer.

"I didn't go anywhere." Annabeth tried for the easiest option: denial. Maybe Rachel would back off if Annabeth denied her accusations.

"I woke up at one o' clock in the morning and you weren't in your bed. Where were you?' Rachel sounded frustrated.

"Geez, what are you stalking me?" Annabeth tried to cover her tracks. Jokes work right? Right?

"No, but I'm your friend and I've been worried about you lately."

"Don't worry about, Rach." 

"I can worry about it if I want to! First you are all cryptic about your schedule! And then you sit at the Gryffindor table like some kind of rogue! Next thing you know you are missing out of the dorm at one o' clock in the morning!"

"It _doesn't matter!_"

"I'm your friend and you shouldn't be hiding secrets from me!"

Annabeth looked at the second year girl next to her at those words. She took a deep breath, knowing what would happen if she didn't explain. Drama would explode in the halls of Hogwarts and so would the demigods' identities.

"I'll tell you everything later, okay?"

"Fine."

Not everything, no not everything. She'll tell Rachel about the schedule, say Hermione asked her to sit at the Gryffindor table, and she was down in the common room at one o' clock to work on some late night homework.

Yes, that would do.

**Review with questions, thoughts, or anything! **


	4. Siriusly

**Book 2: Swords and Wands: The Prisoner of Azkaban**

**Summary: The demigods return in their second year to more surprises then they would ever have thought. Who is this Sirius Black and what does he have to do with Harry Potter? Find out in Book 2 of Swords and Wands**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, HOO, or HP and I never will. **

**Chapter 4: Siriusly**

By the time September ended, there was still no progress on the demigod powers. Piper had improved her charmspeak vocabulary if only by a few words. Frank and Hazel were strolling down an empty corridor the day before Halloween.

"Why don't you like Lupin?" Hazel asked. She had been wondering about it ever since he proclaimed his woes on the well-liked professor. Even Hazel loved his class better then the one last year.

"There's something-" Frank paused as if looking for the right words. "_animal _about him. It's just there in the air and the way he moves and speaks and walks. You guys just don't see it."

Hazel hesitated. "I don't see it, but I believe you, Frank."

"Really?" Frank beamed.

"Sure." Hazel hooked elbows with him.

"Now come on, Percy smuggled some snacks from the kitchen and he isn't going to wait for us to eat them."

They practically skipped toward the Hufflepuff common room, laughing all the way.

On Halloween, the demigods threw another meeting. They gathered around the tree, admittedly with bags full of candy, and instead of using powers just talked about everything from their time as witches and wizards to the second giant war.

"Back when we were fighting the war, did we ever think that in a year and few months that we would be sitting under a tree at a school for magic?" Piper asked.

"Back when we were fighting the war, I thought I would not be alive in a year and few months." Percy smirked. Annabeth punched his shoulder and rolled her eyes.

"I think we would've laughed if somebody told us that." Jason smiled. "Especially on our way to Rome. We didn't know how to fight Gaea. We didn't even know how to save Nico."

"Well, I'm glad we're here." Hazel smiled. "Because we may have to fight a war in any second, we'll still have each other."

"Ugh." Leo fake gagged. "That was too sentimental."

Hazel rolled her eyes but her smile didn't leave her face, not even when the giant squid popped out of the lake and stole a candy that had rolled to the coastline.

The Great Hall had been decorated for the feast. It was lit up with hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of live bats, and flaming orange streamers, swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like water snakes.

At the Halloween feast, the demigods stuffed them full. Ginny, Jason, and Piper kept on getting more of the chocolate fudge pudding. Percy, Hazel, and Frank were enjoying their tiny cakes. Annabeth played with a gelatin-like food. Leo had stuffed his mouth full with a lot of food.

The feast ended with the Hogwarts ghost doing a performance. Ginny, Jason, and Piper left the place smiling and laughing.

"I can't believe Henry screamed." Ginny stated, laughing.

"It's not like we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner with ghosts everyday, Ginny." Piper joked, throwing her arm around the redhead's shoulders and the other one around Jason.

"No, it's such a shame they'd be great dinner guests." Jason joined in.

They all laughed, turning down the corridor leading to the Gryffindor common room, expecting to get in right away, but were stopped by a forming crowd at the portrait. Silence was thick as they joined Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

"What's going on?" Ginny asked.

As if to answer, Headmaster Dumbledore was there, sweeping toward the portrait causing some Gryffindors to squeeze together to let the headmaster through. The six Gryffindors at the back moved forward to see what was going on.

"Oh, my-" Hermione grabbed Harry's arm.

Jason and Piper both had gasped, hands over their mouths. They were as shocked as everybody else in the corridor. The Fat Lady was gone, vanished, from her portrait. The portrait itself was ripped into strips of canvas that littered the floor, chunks of it torn away quickly.

Dumbledore spared it one quick look before turning somberly to Professor McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape who were hurrying toward them. Ginny, Jason, and Piper moved out of the way to let the rushing professors pass.

"We need to find her," Dumbledore spoke. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

"You'll be lucky!" A cackling voice spoke.

Peeves the Poltergeist bobbed over the crowd, looking delighted at the sign of wreckage and worry on every person's face.

"What do you mean, Peeves?" Dumbledore said calmly. Peeves' grin faded, not daring to taunt Dumbledore. He adopted an oily voice that was the equivalent to his cackle.

"Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," his voice was happy. At this moment in time, Piper was reminded greatly of Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, one of her favorite stories. "Poor thing," he added unconvincingly.

"Did she say who did it?' Dumbledore asked quietly, waiting for his worse fears to be confirmed.

"Oh yes, Professorhead," Peeves spoke as if he was cradling a large bombshell under his arms. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore between his legs. "Nasty temper he's got that Sirius Black."

The houses gathered at the Great Hall once again, murmuring quietly and looking extremely confused. Annabeth sent Percy a confused look who looked even more confused at her. Leo and Luna studied the faces of their fellow students, looking for answers. Frank and Hazel gently tapped their feet.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore told them as Professor McGonagall and Flitwick closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," He added to Percy Weasley who was looking proud and important. 'Send word with one of the ghosts."

Dumbledore paused, ready to leave the hall before saying, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing…"

With a wave of his hand, the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the edges of the hall. Another wave; the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags.

Percy grinned at Annabeth who was looking appreciative at the show of magic by the talented, powerful man.

"Sleep well," Dumbledore said, closing the door behind him.

Immediately the Great Hall buzzed with activity, Gryffindors telling the other students what happened. Percy overheard it from a tall Gryffindor girl who talked about as loud as if she was speaking through a bullhorn. Frank and Hazel heard it from George and Fred. Leo and Luna heard it from a group of Gryffindors gathering excitedly.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" Percy Weasley shouted. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!" 

Everybody began grabbing sleeping bags and dragging them to corners or empty spots. Ginny, Jason, and Piper all went into their separate sleeping bags, tucked in a corner.

"Do you think Black is still in the castle?" Ginny asked, staring up at the starred dark ceiling.

"Yeah, bet he is looking for us right now." Jason commented mildly.

Piper sent him a scalding look before consoling the suddenly nervous girl. "No, he probably left when he realized no one was in there."

"The lights are going out now!" Percy Weasley shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"

The candles all went out at once. The only light showing came from the silvery ghosts, drifting about, talking seriously to the prefects. The enchanted ceiling glittered with stars. Whispers filled the hall, ignoring the darkness. It was like sleeping outdoors in a light wind.

Every hour, a teacher would reappear in the hall to check that everything was quiet. By 3:00am, soft snores filled the room, the demigods joining them.

Life will be changed at Hogwarts, once again. The demigods wondered if this school-in-danger thing would happen every year.

They suspected it would.

**Review with questions, thoughts, or anything! **


	5. Page 394 and More

**Book 2: Swords and Wands: The Prisoner of Azkaban**

**Summary: The demigods return in their second year to more surprises then they would ever have thought. Who is this Sirius Black and what does he have to do with Harry Potter? Find out in Book 2 of Swords and Wands**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, HOO, or HP and I never will. **

**Chapter 5: Page 394 and More**

"I hope no one gets hurt."

Jason, Ginny, and Piper were listening to the howling wind outside, rain battering the windows. Ginny had been thinking of the Quidditch tournament and decided to voice her thoughts.

"They're trained for this type of thing Ginny." Jason reassured.

Nevertheless, Ginny worried about the team the whole way to Herbology and even then some.

Annabeth went to third year Defense Against the Dark Arts expecting to go onto the next subject with Lupin, but that was not the case. She sat next to Hermione and stared at Snape, who was at the head of the classroom. Ron, sitting behind them, looked flabbergasted.

"Professor Lupin is ill." He began in his low, drawling voice. "He has not left any information on the topics you have learned so-"

Suddenly, the door slammed open. In a rush of limbs, Harry Potter ran into the classroom. "Sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin, I-"

Snape looked up from the teacher's desk with an almost smug presence around him. "This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down."

Harry didn't move.

"Where's Professor Lupin?" He asked.

"He says he is feeling to ill to teach today," Snape spoke with a twisted smile that Annabeth just wanted to tug off his face and set it on fire. "I believe I told you sit down?"

Harry stared where he was.

"What's wrong with him?"

Snape's eyes glittered. "Nothing life-threatening," he said like he wished it were. "Fire more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."

Harry walked slowly to his seat as if he was prolonging it and sat down. Snape looked around at the class.

"As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far-"

"Please, sir, we've done boggarts, Red Caps, kappas, and grindylows," Hermione spoke quickly, as if she wouldn't be able to get all the information out. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."

"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," Dean Thomas spoke loudly. A murmur agreement covered the classroom. Snape looked more menacing than ever.

"You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you-I would expect first years to be able to deal with Red Caps and grindylows…"

"Well, your expectations don't count because Lupin got the job and you didn't." Annabeth spoke boldly, playing with her quill. She smirked. Hermione stared at her with wide eyes. Annabeth began again, pronouncing every syllable like she was talking to a kindergartner. "This is Defense Against the Dark Arts, not Potions, Professor."

Snape suddenly seemed very irritated looking. He looked down at Annabeth like one would look down at a spider. He stood tall, black eyes glittering.

"Ten points from-" Snape began. He didn't finish. The professor had noticed her tie color and suddenly seemed very tongue-tied.

"Yes, Professor?" Annabeth asked, batting her eyelashes at him innocently. Everybody knew that Snape was very Slytherin-Pro and never took a point from the house. The rest of the class hid their snickers behind their hands.

"Slytherin." Snape finished distastefully. "Ten points from Slytherin, Miss Chase and a Friday detention."

"That's what I thought." She smiled at him with pride.

"You're a Slytherin, but you're really a Gryffindor, Annabeth." Ron said admirably as he leaned forward

The professor gave a death glare to Annabeth as he turned to the rest of the class (some of the students letting out low whistles and silent applause) who stopped their antics as his gaze fell on them. He suddenly gave a very ugly smile at them like he was getting revenge.

"Today we shall discuss werewolves."

"But sir," Hermione said, unable to restrain herself, "we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start hinkypunks-"

"Miss Granger," Snape's voice spoke in a deadly calm, "I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394." He glanced as if to prove his point. "_All _of you! _Now!_"

Bitter looks and sullen muttering followed the instruction.

"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and true wolf?" Snape asked.

Motionless silence followed except for Hermione's raised hand. Annabeth was busy reading the page.

"Anyone?" Snape ignored Hermione. His twisted smile had returned. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between-"

"We told you," Parvati spoke up suddenly. Annabeth was surprised. She always seemed like such a quiet girl. "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on-"

"_Silence!_" Snape snarled. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf where they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are…"

"Please, sir" Hermione said, hand still in the air, "the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf-"

"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," Snape spoke coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."

Hermione went very red, her hand fell down, and she stared at the floor with her eyes full of tears. The entire class glared at Snape even if they had called Hermione a know-it-all at least once. Annabeth stared in shock at the Professor, her mouth a thin line. She was ready to stand up and tell him whose boss, but Ron beat her to it.

"You ask us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told?"

The class instantly knew that Ron had gone to far. Snape advanced on Ron slowly like a lion stalking it's prey. The entire class held their breaths.

"Detention, Weasley," Snape's voice was just like silk, face very close to Ron's. "And I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed."

"Is that a threat, Professor?" Annabeth spoke up. She was tired of the way Snape was treating everybody who wasn't a Slytherin. He was just as bad as Octavian had been about the Greeks. Just because they weren't like him, he hated them.

Snape turned to her. "You just bought you and that mouth of yours a month's detention, Miss Chase."

She rolled her eyes, but it was worth it when Ron smiled at her gratefully. At least she helped somebody. The rest of the class went by uneventfully besides Snape's sly comments that mad Annabeth want to throttle him. When the bell rang after what felt like forever, Snape held them back.

"You will each write an essay, to be in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, Chase, stay behind, we need to arrange your detentions.

The rest of the class left the room, bursting into a furious rage about Snape as they got out of earshot. When Annabeth and Ron left the room, Hermione and Harry were waiting for them.

"D'you know what that-" (he called Snape something that made Hermione shout "_Ron!") _"-is making me do? I've got to scrub out of the bedpans in the hospital wing. _Without magic!" _He was breathing deeply, fists clenched. "Annabeth has to clean the entire trophy room with a toothbrush; a _toothbrush_. Why couldn't Black have hidden in Snape's office, eh? He could have finished him off for us!"

The next day, through the pouring rain and clashing thunder, the demigods and friends made their way to the field. Jason, Piper, and Ginny were dressed in Gryffindor colors. Percy, Hazel, and Frank had decked out for Hufflepuff. Annabeth wore a canary yellow headband in her hair to support the Hufflepuffs. Rachel still wore her Slytherin green headband she had been wearing all year to keep her auburn hair out of her icy eyes. Leo and Luna had both dressed up in Gryffindor colors to support the Gryffindors.

The rain battered down, thunder shook the stands, and the wind did wonders to the many posters in the audience. As Gryffindor team walked out, applause could barely be heard over the wind. Hufflepuff had the same effect. You could only tell who is who by their colors. Diggory and Wood shook hands. Madam's Hooch's blurry mouth formed words, "Mount your brooms."

The game was hard to see and the sky just seemed to be getting darker. The teams were soaked within minutes. The audience was also getting quite cold. Hazel was glad she brought her coat and scarf. She wrapped herself up and pulled Percy and Frank (who were to either side of her) closer and basked in the warmth.

With the first sign of lightning, a time out was called, Gryffindor was fifty points ahead. Jason brushed his plastered down hair off his forehead and squinted at the field.

"I can barely see anything!"

"Tell me about it." Ginny shook her head, aggravated. It's like the rain just wants to cover everything.

The game started up again. A clap of thunder. A flash of forked lightning. More darkness. The wind picked up. The danger levels were rising. Suddenly, all the dementors were on the ground of the Quidditch field. Frank noticed them first, pointing them out urgently.

Then Harry was falling to the ground

**Thank you guys for the reviews! The chapters will get longer again, I just need to stop putting it off to the last minute to write the chapters and this weekend is perfect for writing so that's what I'm going to do. **

**Review with questions, thoughts, or anything!**


	6. The Tale of Rachel Ridgewood

**Book 2: Swords and Wands: The Prisoner of Azkaban**

**Summary: The demigods return in their second year to more surprises then they would ever have thought. Who is this Sirius Black and what does he have to do with Harry Potter? Find out in Book 2 of Swords and Wands**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, HOO, or HP and I never will. **

**Note: Originally this was going to be a fluffy chapter, but then it took a turn and now it's just sad. Next chapter: Christmas at the Hedge House**

**Chapter 6: The Tale of Rachel Ridgewood **

Harry Potter lived.

The Gryffindor team lost much to Jason's chagrin. Percy, Hazel, and Frank had gloated about it after hearing that Harry was ok; they waited until everybody was a hundred percent sure to do so (way later in the day). Dumbledore was livid as he ran to the ground, slowing Harry's fall. He then shot silvery stuff at them causing the dementors to disperse before levitating Harry on a stretcher and taking him to the castle. Everyone thought that the boy who lived had died for quite a bit. After that, the Nimbus got blown into the Whomping Willow.

It was sad to say the Nimbus was no more.

Over the weekend, a dull pattern went by. Jason and Piper had gone with Ginny to deliver a shrill singing get well soon card to Harry. Annabeth had given him snacks that Percy smuggled from the kitchen. Ron and Hermione didn't leave his bedside.

"It's all a little too much for me." Percy had said when he handed her the smuggled snacks. She had offered him to go, but he kindly refused. "I can't stand being crowded around when I'm in the infirmary."

"Before we took the quest, you were always crowded around a bed in the infirmary due to your ability to get hurt on even the safest things." Annabeth shook her as she grabbed the food.

"Exactly."

On Monday, life returned to normal. Harry had left the infirmary. Leo had welcomed him with a golden snitch hologram that flew around Harry's head (suspicious first year chick stared at the hologram with a glare so deadly that Leo was surprised that the hologram didn't just flicker out). Annabeth wasn't amused, stating that he was making it worse.

In third year, Defense Against the Dark Arts, things were back to normal again. Lupin, still looking ill, stood at the front of the class. Automatically, the class was bustling with complaints about Snape's behavior.

"It's not fair, he was only filling in, why should he give us homework?"

"We don't know anything about werewolves-"

"-two rolls of parchment!"

"Detentions! _Detentions!_"

Lupin was smiling. He shook his head, amused by the look of indignation on every student's face. Annabeth didn't feel like it wasn't a rude smile, but a good natured one.

"Don't worry. I'll speak to Professor Snape. You don't have to do the essay."

"Oh _no,_" said Hermione, disappointment lacing her voice. "I've already finished it!"

Annabeth nodded her head sympathetically, looking down at her own finished essay with disappointment.

An enjoyable lesson followed the announcement. Professor Lupin had brought a glass box containing a hinkypunks, little one-legged creatures who looked as if they were made of wisps of smoke. They looked harmless, something you would see at the bottom of the camp lake among the draids.

"Lures travelers into bogs," said Professor Lupin as the students took notes. "You notice the lantern dangling from his hand? Hops ahead-people the light-then-"

The hinkpunk made a horrible squelching noise against the glass. Annabeth raised her hand. Lupin nodded at her.

"Like a Will-O-Wisp?" Annabeth asked.

"Precisely," Lupin smiled. "Many legends do have some fact based at their core. Within every legend is a truth just waiting to be found."

_If only he knew. _Annabeth thought. Some truths were more horrible then other truths and she felt the truth she was hiding was a horrible truth. When the bell rang, the students gathered their supplies and hurried out of the room to their next class.

Leo was on his way to his own next class when a person appeared at his and Luna's side. They were walking with quick pace and talking idly when nosey first year girl caught up. Today, her hair was done in even more innocent braids. She looked younger then eleven.

"Aren't you supposed to be going somewhere?" Leo asked her. "Like to first year classes where first years ago which is you."

"Hmph," the girl sniffed. "No need to be rude. I'm onto you, Valdez and I'll be watching you. I'll be _watching you." _She turned around on her heel and hurried off to her next class.

"She's a strange one that Fray girl, isn't she?" Luna commented, which Leo felt was really unfair considering she was strange to. But weren't everybody in Ravenclaw strange? Yeah.

"She's nosey." Leo stated flatly. They made it into the classroom just in time, the bell ringing to say class began.

As the month passed, life went on. The demigods still had their meetings to no luck with the powers. Nosey, suspicious first year still watched everything Leo did. Annabeth still did a stack of homework every night. Frank and Hazel still kept an eye on Lupin. Percy kept on stealing from the kitchen becoming a regular among the house elves and even befriending them in the way.

When December came and snow started to fall, the demigods decided to leave Hogwarts this year for Christmas, wanting to relax with Coach Hedge and get away from Dementors and magic for a little bit. Rachel was invited to come since her parents were going to be in United States the entire winter break on a business trip.

They took the train back and all gathered outside the Hedge House (having gotten its name from a clever pun from Leo) before moving inside; Coach Hedge greeting the demigods warmly and grunting at Rachel.

During the break, a blanket of snow covered the ground and busy days started. A huge Christmas tree took up a large portion of the family room, dark green pine needles falling to the floor if you brushed it to hard. If you stared at the tree for long, you would see Percy's cat's eyes glowing from where he sat on a branch. Decorating the tree had been fun due to the height of everybody staying at the Hedge House. Coach Hedge had not grown any during the course of the year. They had to find ways to reach the top section of the tree from ladders to machine arms, they tried it all. Finally, they managed to get the goddess on top of the tree ("Why do you put a goddess and not an angel on top of the tree?" Rachel had asked. "Because it isn't in Hedge's religion." Annabeth had answered.)

The day before Christmas, late at night, Rachel had asked a different question.

"Who is Coach Hedge?"

"Huh?" Annabeth knew that Rachel had met Coach Hedge before so she didn't know why the girl was asking now.

"To you." Rachel stated. "What is he to you?"

"A close family friend." Annabeth answered automatically. "He helped out in a very hard time."

"Oh." Rachel said.

"Why do you sound so disappointed?"

"I have cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents, but they aren't really, you know, there." Rachel said uncomfortably.

"Trust me, I know." The gods weren't exactly the type of family who had a family reunion just because they haven't seen each other in a while.

"My father is a Pureblood." Rachel began in an almost bitter tone. "He married my mom, a muggle, which was immensely frowned upon his family. My grandparents disowned him. My mom's parents thought he was a freak. So my parents were cut off from the people who had raised them, but they were in love and family didn't matter because love conquers all. My mom's siblings still kept in touch. Her two older sisters still write letters to us and send greeting cards with their perfect banker husbands and their perfect children. My dad's siblings weren't so lenient. His older brother cut him off, believing my father tainted the bloodline. His older sister turned her nose and looked the other way. Only his youngest sister still talks to us, and only in letters. I've never seen her in person. Bu that didn't matter, my parents had started fighting, you see. My father works for the Ministry and has to travel a lot. You couldn't bring your little muggle wife with you on these trips. So my parents decided to have a child. Because that would ensure they love each other, right?" 

Annabeth knew it was a rhetorical question, so she listened on in silence.

"At first it seemed alright, they began raising me and they fell in love again. Then two years later, that changed. I was born to save a marriage, right? Well, my brother was born out of love and my, my, my, he was perfect."

She said the word perfect like one would say spider. Annabeth flinched at the word, knowing the tale would take a poisonous turn that made you ach with sympathy and want to hug the teller.

"From his emerald green eyes to his sparkling personality, he was perfect. He shone light on everyone he met. Everybody fell in love with him, except me. You know the story that those born out of hate will feel the most love? Well he was the opposite. He had hatred all over his soul and he only showed it to me. Everybody thought he was an angel. I knew better. He would push me and rip wings off butterflies and I would tell my parents and they would laugh saying I had a funny imagination because I was eight and I had no idea what I was talking about. A week after my ninth birthday, everything changed. It started as a normal day when my brother and I decided to go on a walk. I didn't want to go on the walk, but my parents insisted I did because my brother was too young to be by himself. His look was almost evil the way he smiled at me. So we took a walk. I lived by a forest and a stream and my brother took me to that stupid stream because he wanted to go there. He began to taunt me to swim it. I knew my parents did not want us to swim in the stream because the current was strong and we would drown. I refused. I don't remember exactly what happened next, but I remember I was standing on the ground one second and the next I was underwater, trying to breathe. My brother was trying to drown me. My _perfect, innocent _seven-year-old brother was trying to drown me! I did what I could for self defense, one thing led to another and he got pulled into the stream."

Annabeth listened stoically trying to imagine all this happening. She frowned at the image. Rachel started up again, sounding like she was defending herself before it just turned into guilt.

"I tried to help. He was calling my name. I reached for his hand and he held on, but his fingers were slippery and then he was under the current. You have no idea how long I sat there in shock. Eventually, my parents came. His burial was short. He did not have any friends or family to come for him. And when I saw his grave, my parents were crying, but I was relieved. I _was _relieved that my little brother was dead, Annabeth. My parents never looked at me the same after his death, they withdrew, started focusing more on work. And here we are now."

Rachel sighed, tears sparkling in her eyes. Annabeth shook her head, sadly as if there was nothing she could do that was already done. She felt grateful that Rachel had confided in her. Now it was Annabeth's turn to tell the back story (censored of demigodness of course).

"My father was a muggle who was an expert on planes. My mother was a Pureblood with a very huge family. For some reason unknown to me, they fell in love. They weren't married when they had me, my mom left right afterward leaving me with my dad. He didn't love until he met my step-mom. My step-mom and my dad got married and had kids, my little brothers Bobby and Matthew. I felt like an outcast, alone. My father didn't have time for me anymore, just his precious little wife and their precious little children. When I reached seven, I had enough of it. I packed my bags and ran away. Let it be fate that let me meet Thalia Grace and Luke Castellan."

Rachel perked up on how Annabeth said the names, with honor as if they were heroes who needed to be recognized.

"We eventually met Grover Underwood who took the three of us to a safe place. I didn't talk much of my father for many years, just wearing his ring around my necklace. I didn't think much of him either until Percy Jackson came knocking at my door."

The way she said Percy Jackson made Rachel raise an eyebrow. It was loving and admiring at the same time with just a hint of snark.

"He convinced me to go back to my family and so I did and it didn't work out at first, but eventually everything sorted itself out in the end, I'm not as close as I was to my father when it was just the two of us, but we still love each other greatly."

Annabeth finished her short story with a smile. Rachel couldn't help but smile too. Everything does seem to work out in the end, doesn't it?


	7. Christmas at the Hedge House

**Book 2: Swords and Wands: The Prisoner of Azkaban **

**Summary: The demigods return in their second year to more surprises then they would ever have thought. Who is this Sirius Black and what does he have to do with Harry Potter? Find out in Book 2 of Swords and Wands**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, HOO, or HP and I never will. **

**Note: I did not abandon this story. I did not leave this story to rot. My computer just decided to be a pain and not load. I also was not feeling this chapter which made it a pain to write. I'm sorry. Let cute Leo/Rachel banter and fierce Hazel make up for it. **

**Chapter 7: Christmas at the Hedge House**

Christmas morning was completed with the blanket of snow. White flakes fell to the ground outside like ashes. The air seemed to sparkle. Inside the Hedge House, a fire was going and the smell of biscuits was in the air.

Leo was the last to wake up, stumbling out of the bedroom wearing his pajamas. His hair was a mess atop of his head. He was in a sweater and jeans which were very comfortable, thank you very much. He climbed down the stairs, noisily.

The table was a blur of hands and plates; loud chattering the room. Coach Hedge had grabbed enough food to fill an army and then some. Percy had his plate filled, food overlapping each other. Piper looked at Percy with a startled expression as she filled her own plate with a vegetarian meal. Annabeth was adding biscuits to her own plate. She grabbed two and then, as if on a second thought, grabbed one more. Jason and Frank were fighting over who got the last piece of bacon, which ended up being stolen by Leo, angry that he only got one piece. Hazel eyed the sausage with want. Rachel smiled at the people around her, they were the type of family she always imagined when she thought of Christmas.

Next, the demigods and witch all went outside. Annabeth and Percy started on a snow fort. Rachel made snow angels. Leo, Piper, and Jason were making a snowman, trying to get the second ball of snow to balance on the bottom. Frank and Hazel rolled around in the snow and talked until a snow ball hit Frank's stomach.

He looked down and then up at Percy-who stuck his tongue out which was quickly put a stop to when a snowball hit him straight in the face. Piper smirked. That's when the war started.

Snowballs were flying everywhere. Percy and Annabeth's fort seemed like a really good idea then. The demigods and witch fought with all their valiant efforts until their hands had lost feeling and their noises felt like icicles.

Later that night, the family gathered around the tree. Gifts were piled upon the bottom like a something from a Christmas movie. They all were glad to get in. Rachel was shocked to see something with her name on it.

"You got something for me?"

"Of course, silly," Annabeth shook her head in amusement. "You can't have Christmas without gifts."

"Thank you." Rachel smiled at her friend, unshed tears glistening under her eyes. Annabeth smiled as she began unwrapping her own gift.

Annabeth ended up with a charm bracelet from Percy, a Slytherin headband from Rachel, a muggle book series from Leo, a framed picture from Hazel, a beanie from Piper, chocolates from Jason, charms from Frank, and a poster from Coach Hedge.

Percy got prank supplies and headphones from Leo, a picture from Annabeth, an adventurous muggle book from Hazel, an IPod from Jason-which Percy doesn't know what to do with, Piper gave him a beanie, Frank gave him a poster, and Coach Hedge gave him another picture.

Jason got a Quidditch magazine from Annabeth and Percy, a sweater from Piper, a new Gryffindor colored blanket from Frank and Hazel, a weird gadget from Leo, and a post card of Camp Jupiter from Coach Hedge, who winked at him.

Piper was given a perfume from Annabeth, a headband from Hazel, golden snitch earrings from Jason, a Gryffindor sweater from Frank, a necklace from Percy, a note to her from her father from Coach Hedge, and headphones and a IPod from Leo, which she also doesn't know what to do with.

Leo got another book from Annabeth, a sketch pad from Percy, a pile of gadgets from Coach Hedge, a pack of pencils and pens from Frank, a letter holder to put on his owl from Hazel, and a manly ring from Piper and Jason that was bronze with an eagle on it.

Hazel got a dress from Piper, a book from Annabeth, a pack of coloring pencils and a sketch pad from Percy, a variety of hair accessories from Coach Hedge, a badger necklace from Frank, a Hufflepuff sweater from Leo, and a charm bracelet from Jason.

Frank got a sweater from Percy and Annabeth, chocolate frogs from Hazel, a book from Leo, a Canadian stamp from Coach Hedge-who had decided to travel the world while the kids were at school for the first few months, and more chocolate frogs from Jason and Piper.

Rachel was given a candy basket from everybody except Annabeth, who gave her a necklace with a snake on it, matching earrings, and a matching charm bracelet.

They then decided to use, eat, or model their gifts. They were spread out over the living room making it seem a lot bigger then it is. After Annabeth put everything away, she put on the Slytherin headband and her charm bracelet on before beginning to read the book. Percy went through the playlist Jason had made up for him, chose a song, and moved upstairs to begin putting the poster on the wall (and gazing at the pool, as he passed, thoughtfully). Jason put his stuff away, threw on his Gryffindor sweater, and cuddled deeply into his Gryffindor blanket, listening to Frank, Leo, Rachel, and Hazel's conversation half-heartedly. Piper sniffed her perfume, put on her headband, put on her snitch earring before looking at them in the mirror, and began listening to Leo's playlist on her IPod. Leo had put on his ring and was chatting with Frank, Rachel, and Hazel. Hazel had already put away her stuff and was basking in the warmth of her Hufflepuff sweater as she began putting her input on the Hogwarts' houses. Frank put on his own sweater and began eating his chocolate, and occasionally putting his own opinion on the Hogwarts houses. Rachel wore her jewelry proudly and was eating her chocolate with spirit. This was the best Christmas ever.

"You guys chose a snake! A snake! You didn't want to look evil and you chose a snake as your mascot? Just saying." Leo said with a know-it-all-tone.

"Snakes aren't evil," Rachel rolled her eyes. "Just cunning, sly, and misunderstood, which is _perfect_ for the Slytherin."

"You wouldn't have to defend Slytherin if your mascot wasn't a snake." Leo said haughtily.

"Well at least I'm not in Ravenclaw with an eagle mascot." Rachel crossed her arms and stuck her nose up at him. "Oh, look it's the Ravenclaws! I wonder what their mascot is? It has to be a raven-NO it's a bloody eagle! Who would guess that?" 

"Maybe Rowena Ravenclaw was animal blind." Leo defended.

"There is no such thing as animal blindness."

"There could be!"

"But there isn't!" 

'But there could be!" 

"But there isn't!" 

"BUT THERE COULD BE!"

"BUT THEIR ISN'T!"

"BUT THERE COULD BE!"

"BUT THERE ISN'T!"

"Oh shut up, everyone knows the badger is better then a snake or an eagle."

They both turned to look at Hazel who was raising an eyebrow at them, amused. She was pointing to her Hufflepuff sweater with pride. Frank nodded his head enthusiastically. Rachel and Leo shared an awkward look.

"No offense Hazel," Rachel started.

"Meaning the opposite." Leo butted in. Rachel glared at him causing him to shrink back into the warmth of the couch.

"But Hufflepuff is kind of useless." Rachel finished, wringing her hands.

"Just a bit," Leo squished his fingers together to show how useless Hufflepuffs are. "Like 97.9% useless."

Hazel didn't say anything, just glared with her arms crossed. She muttered some Latin curses under her breath. The Ravenclaw and Slytherin quickly got back to fighting.

"What were we saying?" Leo asked Rachel.

"That Slytherin is the best and most misunderstood house ever."

"That's a lie." 

"That's not a lie, Slytherins don't tell lies." 

'_That's_ a lie."

"We don't tell lies, we tell half-truths!"

"Which is a lie."

"Which is a half-truth. We didn't get into Slytherin for not being cunning individuals."

"_Evil _individuals."

"Slytherins aren't evil!"

"That's a lie."

"I'm going to kill you."

"Well isn't that _evil _of you."

"Guys-" Frank spoke up nervously, but was quickly interrupted by the two fighting second years.

"Well, isn't that _smart _of you."

"Ooo, we're getting clever, aren't we?" 

"More then you are."

"Ravenclaws are known for their cleverness!"

"Ravenclaws are also known for being stuck up know-it-alls, congratulations, you've reached the Ravenclaw expectations."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, don't like being on that side of the scale, do you?"

"Hazel, defend me." 

Hazel looked at Leo with a fiery gaze that made his own smug expression disappear. She looked between the Ravenclaw and Slytherin until a smile appeared on her face that made the two quite nervous.

"Sorry, can't help you, I'm a Hufflepuff, remember? We're only, what did you say, Leo? Oh, yes, 97.9% useless. In fact, I'll take my 97.9% uselessness and go talk to Piper; I wouldn't want it to rub onto your Supreme Leaders of All."

She stood up and walked toward Piper and sat down next to the humming girl causing her to look up to see what interrupted her song. Rachel and Leo stared at her with sheepish expressions. They almost forgot about Frank until he spoke up. 

"Hufflepuff: 1, Slytherin and Ravenclaw: 0."

**Review with questions, thoughts, or anything!**


	8. Return to Hogwarts

**Book 2: Swords and Wands: The Prisoner of Azkaban **

**Summary: The demigods return in their second year to more surprises then they would ever have thought. Who is this Sirius Black and what does he have to do with Harry Potter? Find out in Book 2 of Swords and Wands**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, HOO, or HP and I never will. **

**Chapter 8: Return to Hogwarts**

"Seventeen."

"Sixteen, no more, no less."

"Seventeen, no less."

Annabeth sighed and pressed her head further into the cushion, hoping it would magically block out the noise of Leo and Rachel's argument about gods know what. The two seemed to hit it off in the worse way possible. They haven't stopped arguing all break and it was giving Annabeth a constant headache. Even Luna, who was perched on her seat next to Leo quietly, looked almost annoyed, if she could achieve the expression.

Meanwhile, Percy, Jason, and Piper were playing a game of Winkles and Argurs. They were using a bag of every flavored beans to play. They loudly argued and called each other names while trying to distract their opponents. It seemed like none of them would every win since they so evenly matches.

Frank and Hazel made up the cheer squad; cheering for Percy with so much enthusiasm it made you want to stand up and start doing a cheer yourself. Well, they were cheering until they started arguing about who was better at cheering. They, too, joined the yelling.

To make it better, Rachel and Leo were yelling too now.

"SIXTEEN!"

"SEVENTEEN!"

"SIXTEEN!"

"SEVENTEEN!"

"SIXTEEN!"

"SEVENTEEN!"

"SEVENTEEN!"

"SIXTEEN!"

"SEVENTEEN!"

"SIXTEEN!"

"SEVENTEEN!"

"SIXTEEN!"

"Wait a second!"

"Ha! I win!"

"Not fair!" 

"Totally fair!"

"Nah-uh!" 

"Yeah-uh!

"Nah-uh!"

"Yeah-uh!"

Annabeth grabbed the bridge of her nose-Leo needs to remember he is not really a twelve-year-old-and put the book she was attempting to read down. She had read the same sentence six times already and she still couldn't comprehend a single word due to all the noise. Wrapping herself further in her Slytherin scarf, she closed her eyes and breathed slowly.

That was until the bag of beans hit her on the nose. Annabeth's eyes snapped open and she shot forward, her steely gaze locking onto the victims. Her grey eyes sharpened like a lion going in for the kill. Percy and Piper were pointing at Jason who was looking at them like they done the greatest betrayal ever. He looked at them hopelessly before turning to Annabeth. He shook his head at Annabeth so fast, she was surprised he didn't get whiplash.

Annabeth grabbed the beans and threw it at him. He didn't even have time to block the offending food before it hit him in the face. He groaned and grabbed his face for a few seconds before looking down at the bag of beans that had fallen into his lap.

Leo and Rachel were still yelling at each other.

"Will everyone shut up for a few seconds?!" Annabeth yelled. She had had enough. The compartment went silent as if somebody had blown a whistle. All different colored eyes landed on Annabeth, from blue to gold. "You have talked nonstop since we have gotten on this train. I want you to be quiet for two minutes, just two _measly_ minutes, okay? Understood? Comprehended?"

"But-" Leo started.

"Ah!" Annabeth put her finger up.

"We-" Leo tried again.

"Hm!" Annabeth shook her finger at him.

"I-" Leo sat up in protest.

"No!" Annabeth kept shaking her finger.

"-won-" Leo threw his hands in the air.

"Nah!" Annabeth shook her head to add to the shaking finger.

"-the-" Leo tilted his head to the side at Annabeth, anger painted over his face.

"Shhhh…." Annabeth brought her finger to her mouth in a quiet gesture, her other hand placed in the air in a stop symbol. She hoped she could get her point across. "Two minutes. No speaking. I just want to read my book for two minutes."

Approximately thirty seconds later, conversion began again. Annabeth threw her head back with a groan. She let the book drop back into her lap. She made a show of noisily standing up and putting her book back into her bag.

"They just never stop talking." Luna mused, the words didn't sound harsh in her voice. It sounded like she was talking about the weather. It was almost a good thing the way she spoke of it. "It's like they go on non-stop."

"They do." Annabeth sat back down and rested back into the cushioned seat. "They just go on and on and _on_. It's like a recorder on repeat."

Luna smiled and hummed. "You have a very peculiar family." She said it as if it is a compliment, a light smile dancing over her dreamy features. Her moon-like eyes were sparkling. 

"But they are family." Annabeth smiled nostalgically as she stared at the varied group of friends. Not one of them was like the other all the way; they all had something different about them that made them the person they are.

"Yeah." Luna nodded her head in agreement, but Annabeth could tell Luna had slipped in her own little world; one Annabeth had no reach to and could never hope to reach. Annabeth shook her head in amusement and picked her book back up before trying to read it once more.

She got up to the first word when the bag of beans landed once more on her book. It was a hopeless attempt. With a defeated sigh, she gave up and tried to sleep the rest of the way to Hogwarts, blocking out the noise as much as she could, even using the Slytherin scarf as ear muffs.

In other words, she was awake and angry the rest of the trip.

**Sorry if Luna seems OOC, tell me if you think she is. As for the anonymous question: the patronuses are a secret *winky face*. **

**As you can tell, I will no longer be doing day to day updates right now, but I will update as much as possible (every two-three days if I can). **_**At the most**_**, until I get back into the feeling of this book, it will be every Saturday.**


End file.
